Tag Archive for: Trillium grandiflorum

Out in the woods: Trillium grandiflorum and companions

A revised post from another year with some additions. The plants are just the same :) they only flower at slightly different times every spring, region & weather depending.

Do you need ideas about North American natives woodland species to introduce into your garden? Take a hike into the woods; nature is the best expert in providing answers ;)

Trillium grandiflorum, the large white trillium and some of its companions are in flower right now. This year (2023), they flower on the same time with: Jack-in-the-pulpits (Arisaema), Viola pubescens, Viola labradorica, Viola rostrata, Trillium erectum, baneberries (Actaea), Thalictrum dioicum, Polygala paucifolia and various sedges.
Hydrophyllum virginianum (Virginia waterleaf), Podophyllum peltatum (Mayflower) and False Solomons seal (Maianthemum racemosum) are in bud.  Most of the early spring flowering companion species like: wild ginger (Asarum), Sanguinaria canadensis, Erythronium americanum, Lonicera canadensis and Hepatica are already setting fruits.

You can read about all these native species and how to grow them from seeds in the Seeds Shop pages – SEEDS List.

Trillium grandiflorum and Caulophyllum giganteum

T. grandiflorum with Asarum canadense

Podophyllum peltatum, the Mayapple

T. grandiflorum with Tiarella cordifolia

T. grandilflorum, Uvularia grandiflora, Hepatica acutiloba

Trillium erectum with T. grandiflorum

Dryopteris marginalis, wood fern

Trillium grandiflorum and Maianthemum racemosum

Arisaema triphyllum

Uvularia grandiflora and Viola pubescens

Viola rostrata

Trillium and Polygala paucifolia

Notes for the Seeds Shop

  • Updates and new additions to the Seeds List will follow in late summer–early fall.
  • Some Corydalis seeds have been collected; they will be available at the same time with the first Hepatica seeds somewhere in June.
  • The collection of Hepatica seeds will most likely start at the end of the month/early June, and will be followed by Asarum canadense, Stylophorum diphyllum and towards end of June: Sanguinaria canadensis and Erythronium americanum (if possible to collect).
    The availability of these species will be announced. Their seeds germinate best when  sown right away.

 

Trillium grandiflorum 2022

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While we bid adieu to Hepatica flowers, many other spring delights are awaiting for us in the forests and as well in our gardens.

One of the most important events for all woodlanders – the flowering of Trillium grandiflorum, is starting in SW Ontario! The cool, late spring makes it to coincide with Claytonia virginica flowering (spring beauty), which usually flowers earlier in the spring.

These are some of the most wonderful moments of our brief springtime, enjoy them while they last!

Trillium grandiflorum and Claytonia virginica

A last flower of Hepatica americana, notice the fruit heads

Trillium grandiflorum (2)

Trillium grandiflorum, Podophyllum peltatum, Waldsteinia

Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium grandiflorum

Uvularia grandiflora

Viola labradorica

Amelanchier laevis, Allegheny serviceberry

Carya ovata, Shagbark hickory

Thalictrum dioicum

Pileated woodpecker

Out in the woods: Trillium grandiflorum and companions

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Do you need ideas about NA native woodland species to introduce into your garden? Take a hike into the woods; nature is the best expert in providing answers ;)

Trillium grandiflorum, the large white trillium and some of its companions are in flower right now and, with the current summer-like temperatures will not last long.
(other species not seen in the gallery: Erythronium americanum, Actaea rubra and A. pachypoda, Sambucus, Lonicera canadensis, Thalictrum dioicum, Hydrophyllum virginianum…)

Trillium grandiflorum and Caulophyllum giganteum

T. grandiflorum with Asarum canadense

Podophyllum peltatum, the Mayapple

T. grandiflorum with Tiarella cordifolia

T. grandilflorum, Uvularia grandiflora, Hepatica acutiloba

Trillium erectum with T. grandiflorum

Dryopteris marginalis, wood fern

Trillium grandiflorum and Maianthemum racemosum

Arisaema triphyllum

Uvularia grandiflora and Viola pubescens

Viola rostrata

Trillium and Polygala paucifolia

Notes for the Seeds Shop

  • The inventory of dry seeds will not be updated from now on (with the exception of two stage germinators: Lilium and Paeonia). This is the time to concentrate on the first seed collections, and most species, as it happens, require moist storage; it is a lot of work.
    Updates and new additions to the Seeds List will follow in late summer–early fall.
  • Some Corydalis seeds have been collected; they will be available at the same time with the first Hepatica seeds in June. And fingers crossed that Claytonia virginica will also be available again this year.
  • The collection of Hepatica seeds will most likely start at the end of the month/early June, and will be followed by Asarum, Stylophorum diphyllum and towards end of June: Sanguinaria canadensis and Erythronium americanum (if possible to collect).
    The availability of these species will be announced. They all require moist storage and are best sown right away.

This is how most Hepatica plants are looking at this time: new foliage has developed and the pedicels holding the fruit heads are hiding under the new leaves. This makes them hard to spot and is a good sign to keep in mind that the collecting has to be done soon.
Until the seeds are collected, I suggest a visit to the Hepatica page  where you can read more on the subject.

Hepatica acutiloba with new foliage

Hepatica acutiloba seeds catching

Out in the woods

Out in the woods yesterday on a cold, windy day. I knew that the trout lilies (Erythronium americanum) flowers are fading; when it’s happening, the large flowered Trillium (T. grandiflorum) starts to flower – it is a given in our region.
And when the white Trillium is flowering, look up and admire the unfolding buds of Carya ovata (Shagbark hickory); the large, peachy cataphylls are hard to miss. It is another given.
Suddenly, the new, reddish foliage of wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) is all around, together with the yellow bells of Uvularia grandiflora (large flowered bellwort).

Trillium grandiflorum and trout lilies

Trillium grandiflorum

Carya ovata

Trillium grandiflorum- pink

Aralia nudicaulis

Trillium grandiflorum

Uvularia grandiflora

Everything is interconnected.

Note: due to the cool spring, Claytonia virginica and Hepatica seeds will mature later than usual this season.

 

Out in the woods – Trillium grandiflorum

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The time has come to admire again the Large white-flowered Trillium in all its forms and also few other woodland companions.

Although Trillium grandiflorum takes center stage at this time, it doesn’t grow by itself and I will show just a few species that were growing beside it in one particular area: Caulophyllum, Podophyllum peltatum (May apple), Maianthemum racemosum (False Solomon’s Seal), Uvularia grandiflora, Asarum canadense, Viola rostrata, Viola sororia. Others not shown here which associate in the wild/woodland gardens: Actaea species, Polygonatum pubescens, Thalictrum dioicum, Hepatica americana/acutiloba, Sanguinaria, Arisaema triphyllum, Viola pubescens and of course Trillium erectum.
Seeds of all are usually offered in the Seeds Shop by fall.

Caulophyllum and Trillium grandiflorum

Podophyllum peltatum

Maianthemum racemosum

Uvularia grandiflora

Viola rostrata

Viola sororia

 

Wildflowers Monday – Pink and green Trillium

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Wandering in the woods through masses of white trillium (T. grandiflorum) at peak flowering is a privilege.Trillium grandiflorumAn even greater and exciting treat is finding its pink form – Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum and interesting green variants. The pink flower form can be usually found mixed in large populations of ‘normal’ white trilliums. Scouting for them has to be done early because later almost all of the “whites” will also turn slightly pink when fading.

Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum

Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum

Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum3Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum2

The greening of the White Trillium flowers is believed to be caused by infection with a pathogen belonging to the genus Phytoplasma. Phytoplasmic infections are usually confined to phloem and often result in the transformation of floral parts to leafy green structures, potentially leading to sterility of the plant. But there is more research to be done until all will be clear regarding this subject.

Trillium grandiflorum green variant1

Trillium grandiflorum – green variant No.1

Trillium grandiflorum green variant2

Trillium grandiflorum – green variant No. 2; I think ‘Green Feather’ would be a good name for it…

Trillium grandiflorum green variant3

Trillium grandiflorum – the No.3 green variant, arising from a carpet of wild-ginger leaves

I can only watch closely my variants to see how they evolve and if they’ll form fruits/seeds. There is something beautiful about their ‘infection’ ;) At least the No.3 looks very happy and thriving.

 

Check and skotomorphogeneticals

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Is this a catchy name, or what?

I got into a routine to check the moist packed seeds at mid and end of the month. Remember the germinated Trilliums? Well, some got planted in pots and some remained in moist vermiculite, which is also a proper medium to easily check on them and take a few more pictures.

You can still read in many places that Trillium has a double dormancy but that was really old school thought. Here’s a LINK for something more up to date on what’s been called skotomorphogenetic growth (found in other species too). This concept defines germination as the point when the radicle/rhizome emerges from the seed and all the growth that follows represents the development of the seedling in the dark (from ‘skoto’ – dark in Greek).

Trillium grandiflorum seedling (late November)

Trillium grandiflorum seedling (late November) -a cute ‘skotomorphogenetic’ with a fatty, little rhizome; the cotyledons are already visible, now it needs more cooling before elongation will start. All this growth was achieved based on the energy reserves stored in the endosperm.

 

It makes sense. The term double dormancy puts quite a few people off from growing such species from seeds because it implies that they really take a lot of time to germinate. Furthermore, it suggests that the seeds are lying underground and nothing happens, which is not only completely false but also dangerous as you may miss providing the care that they need.

So, skotomorphogenetical it is; I just wish they would have found another name…All the other moist packed seeds are fine; in the featured image – plump, moist seeds of Paris quadrifolia (a Trillium relative, that is also called ‘double dormant’).

 

Note: one Trillium fruit can have both, seeds with dormant embryos and without – these will start germinating by fall if sown or moist storage provided.

No-DOD’s

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(DOD meaning: Dead on delivery)

I don’t know precisely if the DOD term was coined by the renowned Prof. Norman Deno but surely he reminded me of it while reading a delightful Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society from 1991. DOD refers to the fact that seeds that require to be kept moist after collecting, when stored and/or delivered otherwise (by Seed companies or in Seed exchanges), are actually dead and there is little to expect of them in terms of germination. In his article named – Fatal Treatments of Seed he elaborates on how to kill seeds of 12 species by practicing wrong techniques of storing and/or germinating. For Trillium albidum, Fatal means: dry storage.

Same goes for many other Trillium species, and among them, Trillium grandiflorum. After collecting (see how the fruit looks when it’s ready), such seeds should be either sown right away or stored moist. When kept at room temperature, some seeds will emerge radicles by fall. The others, like in other hypogeal germinators, will grow a radicle/baby rhizome or tuber in the coming season, and then send up the first leaf only after another cold cycle (that means in their second year).

These are a few Trillium grandiflorum seeds with emerged radicles that I found last week, during my routine check of the moist stored seeds. A few more pots were added to my collection and I am looking forward to see these little Trilliums sending up their first leaf next year! The other seeds are still in moist storage, awaiting…

Providing moist-packed seeds it is a lot of work but BotanyCa will not be responsible of any DOD’s! See all the Moist-packed Seeds from the Shop.

(If someone knows of other species that would benefit from moist storage please let me know – Contact)

Trillium grandiflorumAnd here’s the link for the ARGS Bulletin -1991 (open as a pdf). It contains great articles like: Saga of a Woodland Garden by Harold Epstein and Hepaticas and Anemonellas by Jeanie Vesall to mention just a few…

Out in the woods – thrilled about Trillium

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Trilix (Latin) = having a triple thread

If nothing else about wildflowers, one image can still thrill anyone  – the white carpeting of the woodland floor when Trillium grandiflorum is flowering; in southern Ontario sometime from late April to May.  Unfortunately, our car committed suicide, so I took this picture close to home in a remnant neighbourhood forest. You’ll just have to imagine this small patch of Trillium multiplied by hundreds, as it happens in the wild wooded areas.

Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium grandiflorum – Large-flowered trillium

Not that the provincial flower of Ontario needs a description; it is all about the number 3: 3-petaled white flowers (rarely pink) with 3 green sepals above a whorl of three leaves. Usually as they age the white flowers turn light pink. Unfortunately, it goes dormant by mid-summer but after the spring display we can forgive this little shortcoming.  Sometimes, individuals with green bands on the petals can be spotted – they look interesting but it’s said to be a result of a phytoplasma infection.

Mixed in with T. grandiflorum is often Trillium erectum – Wake-robin trillium, Stinking Benjamin. It displays stunning dark-red flowers above the foliage – three pointed petals framed by 3 green or reddish green sepals. The scent of the flowers is the source for the common name Stinking Benjamin – they emit odours to attract carrion flies, which are their main pollinators.